I’ve done my time, did my stuff, but when is it time to go?

I’ve been at a sixth form college since 2022, I’ve studied art and design for as long as I been there, I currently have an a-level in graphic design and have passed my English gcse and currently studying fine arts but don’t have a gcse in mathematics despite 3 years of doing it and even a 12 week functional skills course which went terrible; I’m too old to attend gcse classes but still will have to do an exam in the summer.

Throughout my time I haven’t been able to find any work experience (I even been scammed out of an opportunity for it) that suits me nor have the desire to go to university, it feels like the staff are beating up a dead horse because I don’t fit the university nor work experience crowds and in reality I fit more into the "freelancer" crowd.

I am autistic and was allegeable to get into a better college at the time of applying, but back then I didn’t feel the need to speak up and have been feeling the strong sense of monotony and have felt a strong want to swap without opening a whole can of worms with my parents, the only reason I got swung towards my current college was because about 70% of my old school went there as well even though they went to the unit for disabled students whilst I was able to get into the mainstream, fast forward to know as an adult I am tired of this stress and just want it to stop.

So what could I do?

Reply 1

AmiVibes

Original post

by HaydenOmega

I’ve been at a sixth form college since 2022, I’ve studied art and design for as long as I been there, I currently have an a-level in graphic design and have passed my English gcse and currently studying fine arts but don’t have a gcse in mathematics despite 3 years of doing it and even a 12 week functional skills course which went terrible; I’m too old to attend gcse classes but still will have to do an exam in the summer.
Throughout my time I haven’t been able to find any work experience (I even been scammed out of an opportunity for it) that suits me nor have the desire to go to university, it feels like the staff are beating up a dead horse because I don’t fit the university nor work experience crowds and in reality I fit more into the "freelancer" crowd.
I am autistic and was allegeable to get into a better college at the time of applying, but back then I didn’t feel the need to speak up and have been feeling the strong sense of monotony and have felt a strong want to swap without opening a whole can of worms with my parents, the only reason I got swung towards my current college was because about 70% of my old school went there as well even though they went to the unit for disabled students whilst I was able to get into the mainstream, fast forward to know as an adult I am tired of this stress and just want it to stop.
So what could I do?

Heyyy!
Honestly, you’re not a failure at all. You’ve literally got an A-level in Graphic Design and passed English — that’s solid. The maths situation sounds draining, especially after trying for so long, but struggling with one subject doesn’t cancel out your strengths, especially in creative fields. It also doesn’t sound like university is your thing, and that’s completely fine. Not everyone fits that route. If you see yourself more as a freelancer, your portfolio and skills matter way more than ticking every academic box. A lot of designers and artists build their careers through experience, online presence, commissions, apprenticeships, etc. The part about feeling stuck because 70% of your old school went there really stood out. It sounds like you just followed what felt familiar at the time, which is understandable. But you’re an adult now — you’re allowed to reassess and change direction if it’s not working. Before making any huge moves, maybe start small. Focus on building your portfolio on the side. Look into creative apprenticeships instead of traditional work experience. And maybe speak to disability support directly rather than general staff — they might have more tailored options. You don’t “not fit anywhere.” You just don’t fit the uni pipeline, and that’s not the only path.

Reply 2

YSJ_Rachael

Official Rep

Original post

by HaydenOmega

I’ve been at a sixth form college since 2022, I’ve studied art and design for as long as I been there, I currently have an a-level in graphic design and have passed my English gcse and currently studying fine arts but don’t have a gcse in mathematics despite 3 years of doing it and even a 12 week functional skills course which went terrible; I’m too old to attend gcse classes but still will have to do an exam in the summer.
Throughout my time I haven’t been able to find any work experience (I even been scammed out of an opportunity for it) that suits me nor have the desire to go to university, it feels like the staff are beating up a dead horse because I don’t fit the university nor work experience crowds and in reality I fit more into the "freelancer" crowd.
I am autistic and was allegeable to get into a better college at the time of applying, but back then I didn’t feel the need to speak up and have been feeling the strong sense of monotony and have felt a strong want to swap without opening a whole can of worms with my parents, the only reason I got swung towards my current college was because about 70% of my old school went there as well even though they went to the unit for disabled students whilst I was able to get into the mainstream, fast forward to know as an adult I am tired of this stress and just want it to stop.
So what could I do?

Hi HaydenOmega,
You've already done so well for yourself by achieving an A-level in Graphic Design! You should be super proud of yourself for already making it so far.

It's okay to not feel as if you do not fit in with the crowds at university or you don't feel like you are getting the most out of the university experience. Every person is different and everyone benefits from something different! You still have a lot of options open to you and there is all kinds of future work and study you can experiment with to find what works best for you. Like you mentioned, there is freelance work that you can do if you build up your portfolio and create strong connections within the graphic design industry, if that is still what you want to do. Furthermore, you could look around for jobs being advertised relating to graphic design to see if that is also something you might want to do instead of freelance work.

However, if you do change your mind and wish to continue on to higher education then you still have a lot of options as well! You don't just have to go to university for further study but you can also complete apprenticeships and internships. There is also professional certifications, which are shorter courses for specific industry skills, or you could complete an online education, which are a lot more flexible and can fit around your day to day life.

At the end of the day, you should be super proud of how far you've come and you have already put in so much work to get where you are now. There are still a lot of options open to you and many different routes you can take in life to take you somewhere else. You can do whatever you put your mind to!

Rachael
YSJ Student Ambassador